Londonthorpe is a village in the civil parish of Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without, in South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 3 miles (5 km) to the north-east from Grantham, 1 mile (1.6 km) to the west from the B6403 (Ermine Street Roman road), and borders Belton Park in the west.

Londonthorpe
High Road, Londonthorpe
Londonthorpe is located in Lincolnshire
Londonthorpe
Londonthorpe
Location within Lincolnshire
OS grid referenceSK953379
• London110 mi (180 km) S
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGrantham
Postcode districtNG31
PoliceLincolnshire
FireLincolnshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lincolnshire
52°55′N 0°35′W / 52.92°N 0.58°W / 52.92; -0.58

In 1921 the parish had a population of 183.[1] On 1 April 1931 the parish was abolished to form "Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without".[2][3][4]

According to A Dictionary of British Place Names 'Londonthorpe' derives from the Old Scandinavian lundr+thorp, meaning an "outlying farmstead or hamlet by a grove."[5] In the Domesday account the village is written as "Lundertorp."[6][7]

The enlarged parish includes the Grade II listed Harrowby Hall,[3][8] formerly the family home of the Ryder family. Londonthorpe was an estate village of the Belton Estate. The village listed buildings include The Grange farm house,[9] the Manor House,[10] and various other houses and cottages.[11] Listed buildings within the larger Londonthorpe and Harrowby parish include the Officer's Mess of the Second World War RAF Spitalgate, and buildings and structures within Belton Park.[11]

The Grade II* listed parish church is dedicated to St John Baptist, the tower of which dates to the early 13th century and parts of the rood screen to the 15th. The church was rebuilt with a new roof in 1850, with considerable further restoration taking place in 1879.[12][13][14][15] The churchyard contains the war graves of 32 Commonwealth armed service personnel of the First World War, at which time an army training camp existed at Belton Park to the west.[16]

Earthworks, presumed to be remains of a garden terrace. lie to the west of the church. [17]

Land Settlement map

Londonthorpe Wood, created in 1993 by the Woodland Trust, and Alma Park Wood are within the parish 1 mile (1.6 km) to the west.[18][19] The parish also includes Prince William of Gloucester Barracks (previously RAF Spitalgate) and parts of eastern Grantham, particularly Alma Park Industrial Estate.[20]

During the 1930s the parish was a centre for the Land Settlement Association scheme, a social experiment where unemployed Durham and South Wales miners were offered specially built cottages with smallholdings of land and livestock, to encourage self-sufficiency.[3][21]

References

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  1. ^ "Population statistics Londonthorpe AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Relationships and changes Londonthorpe AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "History of the Parish", Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without Parish Council, Lincolnshire County Council. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  4. ^ Youngs, Frederic A (1991). Guide to Local Administrative Units: Northern England. London: Royal Historical Society. p. 271. ISBN 978-0861931279.
  5. ^ Mills, Anthony David (2003); A Dictionary of British Place Names, Oxford University Press, revised edition (2011), pp. 305. ISBN 019960908X
  6. ^ Marrat, W. (2010) The History of Lincolnshire, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive pp. 269-272 BiblioBazaar ISBN 1-143-37575-0
  7. ^ "Londonthorpe | Domesday Book".
  8. ^ Historic England. "Harrowby Hall (505928)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  9. ^ The Grange, Londonthorpe, British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  10. ^ Manor House, Londonthorpe, British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  11. ^ a b British Listed Buildings: Londonthorpe. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  12. ^ Cox, J. Charles (1916) Lincolnshire. Methuen & Co. Ltd., p. 218
  13. ^ The Parish of St John the Baptist Londonthorpe, stjohnlondonthorpe.org.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  14. ^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (325554)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  15. ^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist, Church Lane (Grade II*) (1253207)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  16. ^ Londonthorpe (St John the Baptist) Churchyard, Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 17 January 2015
  17. ^ "Earthworks, west of Londonthorpe Church, Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without", Lincolnshire Heritage Explorer. Retrieved 12 April 2024
  18. ^ Londonthorpe Wood, The Woodland Trust. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  19. ^ Alma Park Wood, The Woodland Trust. Retrieved 17 January 2015
  20. ^ Alma Park Industrial Estate, streetmap.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2011
  21. ^ "Land Settlement Association", University of Reading. Retrieved 18 August 2011
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